


Drive-in Redux

by Bellakitse



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Boys In Love, M/M, Michael Guerin Loves Alex Manes, Romance, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, drive-in date, they're just soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-21
Updated: 2019-11-21
Packaged: 2021-02-16 10:01:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21506038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bellakitse/pseuds/Bellakitse
Summary: Months later, Michael and Alex are in a better place emotionally and they try another date at the drive-in with much better results.
Relationships: Michael Guerin/Alex Manes
Comments: 27
Kudos: 210





	Drive-in Redux

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cosmiceverafter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cosmiceverafter/gifts).



> for Jess (cosmiceverafter) who isn't feeling well, hope it makes you smile sweetie. Love you ❤❤

“And that’s file number one-millionth documenting my family’s absolute evilness,” Alex mutters as he stares up at his multiple screens. Michael looks over at him from where he’s handling physical copies of what Alex is working on; he takes in the way his face is pinched with a deep frown, his shoulders high and so tense they almost reach his ears. Michael’s hands' itch as he curbs the urge to step up behind Alex and rub his shoulders until they lose their stiffness.

He thinks Alex wouldn’t mind if he does. It’s taken months of awkward conversations, pained looks, and no touching, but they have somehow turned the last page of the most recent painful chapter of their shared story and seemed to finally be arriving at a happier one. Not too long ago, touches were things they flinched away from. Now they look forward to them with the anticipation of starting something they are familiar with but in a new and better way.

Right now though, as Alex’s frown deepens, the situation felt familiar in a negative way, and Michael desperately wants to put it away where it can’t hurt them, can’t hurt Alex, who looks like a piece of his soul dies every time they find some new horror his family has mastermind. Determined to pull Alex away from the black hole he could already see him sinking into, he clears his throat to draw his attention.

Alex turns in his chair and looks at him expectantly.

Michael licks his lips nervously as an idea starts to form in his head, he remembers the last time and the way the night ended, but he pushes away his trepidation. They aren’t the same people they were a year ago, neither scare easily anymore. “What are you doing tonight?”

Alex raises an eyebrow at him, silently pointing back at his screens.

Michael shakes his head, flashing Alex a cocky smile to hide his nervousness. “Not anymore,” he tells him, and Alex’s eyebrows climb higher, though there is a hint of a smile on his face. Alex once confessed to him as they laid together in the dark that he couldn’t help but smile when Michael smiled. “Isobel is doing another movie night at the drive-in, we should go.”

Alex’s eyes widen, and a flash of guilt passes over his face, which tells Michael he’s thinking about the last time too. He can see the hesitation on his face mixed with that guilt, but Michael powers through and smiles wider, now that he’s thought about it, he really wants to go. Before Alex’s father messed up their night, he and Alex had been having fun in their ‘we’re not calling it a date, but it’s totally a date’ date, and he wants to see what the outcome of that date can be without Jesse Manes coming between them.

He walks toward him, standing in front of Alex, forcing him to look up at him. “What do you say?” he asks quietly. “I’ll even spring for the big tub of popcorn,” he teases, and it turns into a small gasp when Alex stands, and it causes his front to brush against Michael’s.

Alex smiles, it’s soft and a little shy, but oh so bright and hopeful. “I’ll bring the sixer,” he tells him, and Michael can’t help the wide, jaw-aching smile that takes over his face.

*

They arrive at the drive-in ten past seven when the sun is starting to set. Michael had made a quick stop at his airstream after leaving the bunker to shower and change before heading back to Alex, who waited for him at the cabin. He reminds himself to breathe when Alex comes out of the cabin, dressed in slim jeans and a navy blue Henley that hugs his shoulders, his leather jacket in his hands along with a six-pack of beer.

The drive-in is only half full as they pull in, with more cars arriving behind them. Alex points towards an empty section for him to park a decent distance from the big screen, and Michael heads towards it, parking his truck with the tailgate facing the screen. He turns the engine off and looks over at Alex, who is looking back at him with a smile of his own, already more relaxed than a few hours ago. He nods towards the back, and Alex answers in kind, reaching for his door. Michael follows him, opening the back of the truck for them.

“Wait,” he stops Alex when he starts to climb on, and reaches for a duffle he has at the side, pulling out one of two blankets he has there stashed. He lays it out, covering half the flatbed. When he looks back at Alex, he finds him giving him a look so soft that it makes Michael’s stomach flutter. “What?”

Alex chuckles lightly, shaking his head at him. “Nothing,” he answers quietly, taking a seat. “It’s just that sometimes I forget how sweet you actually are, and then you do something like this.”

Micheal feels his cheeks go hot as he takes a seat too. “It’s just a blanket.”

Alex passes him a beer, holding on to it when Michael goes to take it from him, his fingers touching Michael’s. “It’s more than just the blanket, Michael,” Alex tells him, his voice soft and tender. “Thank you for suggesting this,” he pauses for a moment. “Especially after the last time we were here.”

Michael shakes his head. “That’s in the past, Alex,” he says, meaning it. He isn’t going to let past mistakes ruin their future, and Michael _wants_ them to have a future. “We’ll do better this time.”

Alex’s smile is bright, and Michael can’t help but reach out and touch the corner of it with his finger, letting out a shaky breath when Alex turns his head an inch and presses a kiss at the pad of his thumb, holding on to his wrist.

“We will,” he repeats, taking Michael’s hand and interlocking it with his. Letting the world see that Alex Manes is holding hands with Michael Guerin.

He doesn’t let go until Michael mentions that he owes him popcorn, and he takes it back when Michael comes back with a tub in hand. He passes it over to Alex so he can place it on his side since Alex seems determined to have as little space as possible between them.

“So, what movie did Isobel choose for tonight?” Alex asks, grabbing a handful of popcorn and stuffing his face.

Michael takes a moment to answer as Alex rubs his fingers over his knuckles. Touching where his scars used to be, for a long time after Max fixed his hand, neither could bear to look at it, much less touch it. The way Alex caresses his hand now smooths the sharp edges of that painful memory, rounding them until they don’t make either of them bleed. 

“She’s been on a Disney kick,” he comments, opening his mouth for Alex.

With a quick roll of his eyes, Alex pops a few pieces of popcorn into his mouth, which Michael thanks him with a grin as he chews.

“But it could be anything,” Michael continues after he’s done swallowing. “She didn’t tell me, and I didn’t bother reading her flyer, but if we don’t like the movie, we can leave,” he offers, realizing that he should have checked first what was showing. He knows that Alex avoids certain movies because of his PTSD.

Alex shakes his head. “I’m sure it will be fine,” he answers as he looks around.

The drive-in is fuller than before, and people of all ages are mingling around, getting their food before the movie starts. He spots Liz and Maria in the distance, and knows Alex does too when he smiles in their direction and gives them a wave that they return. He turns back to look at him, his brown eyes glowing with happiness. “Besides, I came to be with you,” he tells him, pressing his shoulder against his. “I don’t care about the movie, Michael.”

He swallows around the lump that builds at his throat at Alex’s easy affection, he’s not used to it in public and craves more of it.

“Are you going to be comfortable with your leg hanging over like this the whole movie?” he asks, looking down at Alex’s right leg.

Alex looks down with him with a frown like he’s trying to decide.

“We could-“ Michael starts and stops, wondering if he’s pushing for too much too soon, but Alex looks back at him, waiting for him to continue.

“I have pillows,” he says, pointing back at the duffle. “We could sit deeper on the flatbed; that way, your leg isn’t hanging off the floor.

Alex looks towards where he’s pointing and then back at Michael, giving him a nod as he hops off the tailgate. Michael jumps to his feet and moves around on the bed of his truck, pulling the blanket he laid out, higher up, and then the two pillows and the other blanket he has in his duffle. Alex passes him the popcorn and beers so they can be within reach. Finally, Michael turns to Alex and holds out his hand to help pull him up. He subtly uses his powers to steady him as he climbs onto the bed, Alex shoots him a look, and Michael smirks at him in return.

“Sit,” Alex instructs him, and Michael does as he says, sitting back, leaving space next to him for Alex. Only Alex doesn’t sit next to him. Instead, he taps Michael’s boot with his own, raising an eyebrow at him when Michael just looks at him and taps again. Michael realizes what he’s asking but can’t believe it even as he spreads his legs, even as Alex settles in between them, resting his back against Michael’s front. Michael finds himself speechless, even as Alex grabs his hands and rests them against his stomach.

“Comfortable?” he croaks out finally, and Alex shifts a little before letting out a satisfied sigh.

“ _Much_ ,” he answers with a smug tone.

Michael lets out a laughing huff, and gives him a small squeeze, pressing his face into the side of Alex’s throat. “Always surprising me, sweetheart.”

Alex doesn't bother with an answer and snuggles closer as the screen goes dark for a moment before the Disney logo appears, making him laugh.

“You called it.”

“Isobel isn’t as mysterious as she likes to think she is,” he tells him before going quiet as ‘Arabian Nights’ starts to play.

They watch quietly, eating popcorn and sipping their beer. Michael never loosens his hold on Alex, and Alex never shifts from his place in Michael’s arms, both perfectly relaxed. Alex hums along, singing under his breath to ‘a whole new world,’ and Michael has to hide his smile in Alex’s neck, getting a slap on the leg when he snickers. He retaliates by pressing his lips to Alex’s neck, and he smiles proudly against the skin when Alex lets out a shiver.

The movie ends sooner than he would like, but he doesn’t let go of Alex even as the credits play. He wants to stay in this state where he gets to hold Alex all night, but soon the other cars are starting their engines, and they have to move whether he likes it or not. They climb out of the back of the truck, packing all their stuff and throwing away the garbage in silence. It’s only when they have nothing left to do but get back in the truck that Michael looks at Alex with a question.

“What now?”

Alex looks over at him and proving that he’s not done surprising him tonight, gives him a playful smirk, his eyes dark and promising. “You wanna go for a ride?”


End file.
